A City's Secret
by greyeyedrune
Summary: Kagome has just lost everything. Her family, her possessions, and her spirit. It is in this state that she literally stumbles into a secret that the city has been hiding. Vampires are real
1. Chapter 1

Kagome walked slowly down the street, feeling the cold concrete of the sidewalk under her bare feet. It was late and it was cold, especially because she was wearing only a strapless red dress. If she had anything else to wear she would. Lost in her thoughts, she stubbed her toe on a rock and tripped, skinning her knee as well as she hit the ground. It stung.

Pushing herself up and leaning against the rough brick wall behind her, she cautiously eased her skirt up her leg to view the damage. A hot, dark trickle of blood was trailing down her smooth, long legs, and the toe she had stubbed was already sitting in its own small pool.

"Great," she muttered. Then she looked up.

Five men were surrounding her. They were tall and they were built and they had come so suddenly and so silently that anyone else would have gasped. But Kagome had no more energy to muster up any kind of reaction.

"Hello," the one on the left said silkily. Kagome did not even look in his direction. "What are you doing out here all alone tonight? And looking so pretty..."

"Aw..." said one to the right, "You seem to have hurt yourself. You should really take care of that. Losing too much blood is bad for your health."

The whole circle chuckled sinisterly, until one of them said, "Well, it doesn't look like she'll put up much of a struggle. So we may as well start. Inu, I believe it's your turn to go first."

The one in the middle stepped forward. Kagome regarded him dully. He had silver hair that flowed down to his waist and amber eyes that stared at her piercingly. She didn't know what he was going to do to her, but she was sure that it wasn't as bad as what she had just come through. In the course of a week, her parents and her brother were all killed in a car crash, everything she owned had been taken from her, and just tonight she had been kicked out of their family shrine to repay the last of the debt that she had been shouldered with when her parents died. The only thing she had to her name now was the dress she was wearing, and it was already dirty from her fall. In that moment, Kagome didn't care if these men wanted to rape or kill her. She wouldn't fight it. She was sick of fighting.

She didn't break eye contact as the man continued to approach her, but there was nothing intense about her gaze. When he brushed her hair away from her neck, she looked instead at the ground. He leaned closer and then, for a second, there was a piercing pain in her neck. Suddenly, the man reeled back in shock. He coughed and stared at her so intensely that she almost shivered. Something in his expression started to wake her from her stupor.

"What, are you done already?" asked one of the others. "Then step aside. It's my turn."

A deep and ferocious growl ripped from the throat of the man in front of her as he turned to face the rest of the circle. "Nobody touches her," he said.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You," he said, turning his head slightly towards her without taking his eyes off of the others. "Grab onto my shoulders."

Kagome didn't move at first. This man had just attacked her. He was clearly not trustworthy. But then again... what option did she have? She dumbly placed her arms across his shoulders. In one swift movement, he grabbed and parted her legs, wrapping them around his waist, then took off.

Kagome gasped, tightening her weak grip. They were flying across buildings at impossible speeds. No, they weren't flying. He was jumping. Kagome felt the slight impact every time he landed for a split second. With everything that she had been through, this bizarre occurrence was simply too much. Her head fell against his shoulder, and the world went black.

A/N: So I'm accidentally writing multiple stories at one time now. The one with the most reviews next time I'm in the mood to write will get another chapter published, so if you want this one, then you'd better say so. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Inuyasha was mildly annoyed when the woman on his back went slack and started to slip off his shoulders. He didn't ask for this tonight. It was supposed to be a routine hunt.

Still, he caught her mid-jump and twisted her body so that he was holding her limp form in his arms instead of on his back. Then he jumped off of one final roof and angled his descent so that he fell smoothly through the open window of his apartment, landing with a soft thud.

Gently, he lay the girl down on his couch. She murmured slightly in response to the movement but then went still, her hair spread in a halo around her face and her limbs completely slack.

He went back to the window and shut it firmly, locking it with a click. He didn't want any interruptions.

Then he returned to the girl's side, lightly brushing her hair away from her neck and smiling sinisterly. He would enjoy this. Her eyes flickered open, but he didn't pay it much attention. After all, she hadn't put up much of a fight before. He leaned in close and one again bared his fangs, ready to take a bite and experience her taste again.

Instead, he felt a searing pain and was suddenly pushed backwards by a white-hot wave of energy. He hissed and braced himself against it, but the pain was acute. Finally, it released him.

"What the hell was that!?" he demanded of the girl.

She scoffed and sat up, swinging her legs off of the couch and glaring at him heatedly. "Let's recap, shall we? You and a bunch of thugs corner me in an alley, clearly bent on attacking me, you bite me for whatever reason, and then you kidnap me and drag me here using some method of transportation that I've never heard of but that frankly freaks me out, you try to bite me _again_, and you're asking me what the hell _I'm_ doing? What the hell are you doing, freak? What do you want with me?"

Inuyasha was caught off-guard by her sudden fire. Where was the timid girl he had picked up? Without meaning to, he answered her question directly. "Your blood."

"You want my blood? Great. Spill it all over the damn place. I have nothing to live for anyway. I thought you were going to kill me back in the alley, and I don't know why you didn't or what the hell is taking you so long but I wish you'd just get it over with and not do all this weird shit first."

In spite of himself, Inuyasha started to worry for the girl's mental health. "You want to die?" he asked.

"Yup!"

"Why?"

"None of your damn business. Let's get going already."

"I'm not going to kill you."

Apparently exasperated by this good news, the girl immediately got up, brushed herself off, and began to walk towards the door. "See ya, then."

Making full use of his speed, Inuyasha appeared in front of her, blocking her means of escape. "You're not going anywhere," he said.

"I think I am. If you're not going to give me what I want then we're done here, and don't think you can stop me because I can easily cast another stun charm. You didn't seem to like the last one much."

"That was supposed to stun me? It hurt!"

She scoffed again, "What are you, an evil fairytale creature? A goblin? Vampire, maybe?" Then her eyes grew wide and her face grew pale. "Oh, holy shit; you're a vampire."

He smirked at her and did a mock bow. But he was still confused. "Yes, I am. What are you?"

"A miko," she whispered, still pale. He immediately backed up several paces and stared at her, slightly scared for the first time in his life.

"I didn't think any of you actually existed."

"Right back at ya, buddy," she responded, wryly.

"Wait," Inuyasha said, mind racing. "Maybe that's why. Yeah, that has to be it."

"Why what?" Kagome sighed, as if not really interested.

"Why your blood tastes so good. So much better than any blood I've ever tasted before."

"Is that why you brought me here? To be your food supply? Were you going to just imprison me in the apartment forever so that whenever you felt like snacking I'd be handy?" she demanded, crossing her arms and glaring at him again.

"Well..." It sounded a lot worse when she said it like that. But... "Yeah, basically..."

"And you thought I'd just be cool with that?"

"I figured you'd find it preferable to my friends' plan, which was to kill you and suck you dry on the spot..."

"You figured wrong. So... I'm leaving. Maybe I'll run into them again and they can go ahead with Plan A. I'm sure I'll find them somewhere."

She opened the door and he darted forward to stop her.

"Somewhere like... right here, for example," she finished, and Inuyasha looked up to see his four companions staring him down.

"Hey, Inuyasha," Kouga said, stepping forward so that Inuyasha couldn't slam the door in his face. "What the hell?"

Well... shit.

A/N: Hey guys. I'm throwing this story a bone out of pity. But if you guys can't pull it out of last place by reviewing a little more, I'll probably abandon it. And then Vampire Inuyasha will cry and cry. Is that what you want?


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome stepped aside to let the group of towering men enter the apartment. She was somewhat amused by the cornered look that crossed her captor's face, but she was mostly impatient. Were they going to kill her or not? Because the sooner they did, the sooner she could see her family again and have someplace to belong again. Unfortunately, at the moment, they seemed much more interested in the one they called Inuyasha.

"Wanna tell us what happened back there, little brother?" asked the tallest of the bunch threateningly. His hair was silver, too. Actually, it was extremely silver. It looked like thin strands of metal so lustrous that it made Inuyasha's hair look white in comparison.

Inuyasha straightened and seemed to be trying to summon the strength to stand his ground. "That one's mine. Find yourselves another one."

"Or the same one," Kagome interjected casually. "I'm right here."

"We hunt as a pack. And we share our conquests as a pack, too."

"Hello! Conquest over here! Share away!"

"Well I won't be doing that any more."

"Do you need directions to my neck? Here, let me get the hair out of the way for you..."

"What are you saying? You're not going to kill her?"

"Is anybody going to kill me? Anyone?"

"No. I'm going to keep her."

"Yo! Vampires!" As soon as she finished saying the word, all heads whipped in her direction, then immediately back to Inuyasha.

"She knows!?" growled one of the ones in the middle. Then all hell broke loose. There was yelling and fighting and tackling and cursing and everyone seemed very upset. Unfortunately, Inuyasha appeared to be holding his own in the fight, which meant the whole thing could take a while. Kagome rolled her eyes and grabbed a jacket from the coat rack by the door. If no one was going to eat her alive, then she was out.

She walked into the hallway, letting the sounds of the fight fade behind her. It was annoying having to wait for an elevator, but eventually one came. She got in and pressed the button for the lobby, then leaned against the railing as the elevator descended at a frustratingly slow pace. There was a mirror on the ceiling. The girl in the mirror looked tired.

Finally, the elevator made a happy 'ding' noise, and the doors slid open. Filling the entire frame was the vampire she had left behind.

"Just where do you think you're going?" he asked. She looked him up and down. His clothes were torn in a couple places, but he had very few injuries, and though he had run several flights of stairs he was not out of breath.

"Out," she said finally.

"Well get the hell back in," he growled, advancing into the elevator and punching the button for the top floor. The doors slid closed.

"So you and your friends made up, huh?" she asked.

"You could say that."

"You killed them, didn't you? You killed them all. Everyone gets to die but me."

"You're damn right you don't get to die," Inuyasha said heatedly.

"Why? Because you really want to keep your house well-stocked with snacks? Is food that important to you?"

"You're not just food..."

"Oh, no? What am I?"

"I don't know, alright? I don't know. But drinking your blood feels different than drinking anyone else's. It's not just a better flavor; it's a completely different experience." The elevator doors opened. Kagome dryly took in the completely beat-up bodies in the hallway. They weren't dead, but they also wouldn't be getting up any time soon.

"Impressive..."

"Ignore them. Come on."

"Why should I?"

"Just... come into my apartment and we'll negotiate, alright? We'll figure out an arrangement."

"I can't think of anything that you could give me that I would want."

"Maybe not, but what do you have to lose?" Nothing. She had nothing to lose. So, with a resigned sigh, she followed him.

"We'll talk," she said.

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while. I still love you, I promise. I just get distracted sometimes.


	4. Chapter 4

Inuyasha eyed the girl warily as she walked past him into his apartment. He shut the door softly behind him and fought the urge to lock it. He knew he would keep her here at all costs, but at least for the moment it seemed beneficial to maintain the illusion of choice.

The girl sat on the same couch he had laid her on before. It was red, just like her dress, and she made a striking picture with the city skyline behind her illuminating the edges of her hair. For the first time, he noticed that she was pretty.

"What's your name?" he asked.

She seemed annoyed at the query, but answered anyway. "Kagome."

"Why do you want to die?"

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "What is this, small talk? Let's get to the negotiations. What do you have to offer me that you think could possibly convince me to allow you to feed on my blood indefinitely without giving me the sweet comfort of death?"

"Free place to live?"

"Yes, I do hate paying for prisons."

"Free food..."

"To convert into nice healthy blood slushies for you?"

"Money?"

"To spend on what? You're not letting me leave the apartment."

"You could order stuff online?"

She didn't bother responding to that one. Even Inuyasha admitted that it was a stretch. Unconsciously he started to pace, and her eyes followed his movement.

"There's really nothing you want?"

"My family back would be great, if you could arrange it." He stopped pacing.

"Are they dead?"

"Quite."

"I'm sorry." She didn't respond to that, either. She just turned dully to look out the window for a few tense and silent moments. He stared at her, completely frustrated. How could he get her to stay with him when there was nothing she wanted from him? He couldn't get her family back for her. Then he shrugged.

"I'll be your family." Her head whipped back to face him and she glared heatedly.

"Families aren't interchangeable. You can't just trade a mother and a grandfather and a little brother in for a random vampire that you meet on the street when he tries to kill you."

"Why not?"

"Because you don't even care about me as more than a food source! If you could keep me unconscious in a back room, fed through tubes and drained through different tubes, you would!"

"That's not true," Inuyasha replied. And as he said it, he realized that he wasn't lying. He thought about the sense of deep connection that he felt when he tasted her, and the corresponding pull on his mind and emotions. When he had defended her from the others, it wasn't only selfishness. It was genuine protectiveness as well. "I care about you."

She scoffed and went back to unresponsiveness. He sighed.

"Well how about for the good of humanity, then? As long as you're with me, I won't hunt. I won't drink anyone else's blood."

"But you hunt in a pack. The kill count won't decrease."

"Sure it will. They'll add someone else to their hunting group, and that person won't be in any other group of five, so you'll be saving one fifth of a person a month. In five months, that's one whole person."

"Is that how often you feed? Once a month?"

"Yes."

"And right now it's... your time of the month?"

"Could we possibly phrase that differently?"

"Nope."

"Yes, it is... my time." There was silence again.

"Alright, fine," she said suddenly. "You know what? Go ahead. Let's see if I can even handle it before we negotiate any further. Maybe you'll drain me accidentally and I'll get what I want anyway." Inuyasha felt his own blood pulse at the thought of experiencing hers again.

"Really?" he asked hesitantly.

"Really." She flopped unceremoniously into a horizontal position, closed her eyes, and swatted her hair off of her neck. "Do your worst."

Inuyasha moved swiftly and eagerly to stand before her, but once he was there, he felt suddenly nervous. He knelt slowly, taking a breath to calm himself. Her neck looked so inviting. It was smooth and soft, marred only by the two puckered marks his own fangs had made. Not wanting to mar her further, he carefully placed his mouth in the exact same spot. Then he bit down.

Nothing could describe the sensation. The first time, he had been so shocked that he had barely had time to savor it. This time, he let the full flavor and feeling engulf him. And there it was again: that emotional response. He felt a surge of protectiveness and affection for the girl in front of him, and those feelings melded with the physical sensation of tasting, smelling, and feeling her to create an incredible experience. When he finally pulled away, his head was reeling. He gazed down at the girl to gauge her reaction, but her eyes were still closed. He wrinkled his brow in worry and called her name, shaking her softly, then harder.

But it made no difference. She was unconscious.

...Shit.

A/N: Good heavens. You guys reviewed the crap out of the last chapter. Seriously. You reviewed the crap right out of it. That's why I wrote you another one. Because I love you. True story.


	5. Chapter 5

As Kagome eased into consciousness, she felt as if she were floating. Not in a fun, gliding-softly-in-the-air sort of way, but more like she were supposed to be grounded, but couldn't quite manage it. Like something was stretching her too thin. Maybe that was why she had such a headache. She opened her eyes warily and her vision was immediately filled with bright lights and Inuyasha's worried face.

"How ya feeling?" He asked cautiously, as if afraid she would suddenly attack him.

"Just super," she responded groggily. "How long have I been out?" She tried to sit up and found that her chest was weighted down with a heap of blankets. Clearly, she was not the only one concerned that she would float away.

"About a day," he answered, his tone still implying that he was trying to calm a mental patient with a history of violence. With a grimace, she realized that the way she had acted the night before wasn't far from it. He must think she was insane. Then again, he was a vampire. So they were basically even as far as first impressions go.

With effort, she burrowed her arms out of the blanket mountain and attempted to sit up again. He stopped her with a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not sure that's wise," he said. She laughed drily and turned to him.

"Do you know what I'm not sure is wise? Sucking all the blood out of a girl..."

"Not aaall of it..."

"Making a damn blanket fort on top of her..."

"I didn't want you to get cold! You're not wearing much..."

"And then not letting her eat! I'm starving." It was true. She felt lightheaded and a little nauseous, but most of all extremely hungry. Fueled by said hunger, she made another attempt at sitting up. This time he let her, but looked sheepish.

"I don't actually have any food..."

She glared at him through barely open eyelids and held out her hand. "Give me your phone, then."

About an hour later, Kagome sat cross-legged on the couch, cheerfully sampling the various Chinese take-out containers arranged in an artful semi-circle around her. Inuyasha was beside her, periodically switching containers she disapproved of with the pile of untried orders behind him.

"I can't believe you ordered the entire chicken column."

"You just said you wanted chicken. How was I supposed to know what kind?"

"Could've asked," she responded, with a mouthful of Szechuan.

He shrugged. "Now there's more for later.". Then his face darkened and he looked at his lap. "If there is a later," he mumbled.

Maybe it was the loss of blood, but Kagome couldn't help but have a twinge of compassion for him. He'd clearly been hovering over her for about a day straight, thinking about things like her warmth and then laying down probably a couple hundred dollars on chicken as soon as she woke up and she wasn't being the most grateful recipient. Plus he looked so forlorn and guilty. She rolled her eyes and swalled her mouthful before blurting, "I can hang out for a bit, I guess... "

His head snapped up. "What's a bit?"

"I don't know. Until I decide otherwise."

He didn't seem entirely satisfied with that answer, but relaxed a little anyway. "Why the change of heart? Not that I'm unhappy about it."

She fiddled with her chopsticks and avoided eye contact. Expressing her feelings was not her very favorite thing to do, particularly lately. But it probably had to be done. She looked up. "I was in a really dark place last night. My family died only a few days ago and I'd barely started to process that when I got kicked out of my home and stripped of all my possessions. All the things that reminded me of them. So in that moment, when you guys cornered me, I really did want to die. And when that didn't happen, I was upset. But now, after some time has passed and I've had a chance to sleep and eat and think a little more clearly... I don't feel quite so strongly about it. I'm not saying I'm not still depressed, but I'm at least not imminently suicidal anymore. So I'm willing to stay with you because... Truthfully, I don't exactly have anywhere else to go. And besides... How many people get to say that they live with a vampire?"

Inuyasha seemed to suddenly release all the tension in his shoulders and back, sagging against the couch in relief. "I'm glad to hear that," he said. "I was afraid that what I did would make you even more eager to escape me. And life in general."

"Eh.. It wasn't so bad..." Kagome said in what she hoped was a casual tone as she remembered the sensation. The initial bite hurt, but after that it had felt like she was sinking into and getting engulfed by something thrilling and strangely...intimate. She fought a blush.

"So!" She said loudly, in the hopes of changing the subject immediately. "How will this work, then? Do I get my own room?"

"You can have two if you want. Can you walk? I'll give you a tour."

She daintily extracted herself from the pile of take-out and took a couple steps to demonstrate her mastery of the skill of walking. He grunted what she guessed was approval and rose as well.

"So... living room."

"Got that."

"Kitchen's over there."

"The empty one?"

"It came with the apartment, but you're obviously free to fill it. This is my room..." He opened a door to an immaculately clean bedroom. Like the rest of the apartment, it was decorated solely in black, white, and red. He closed the door quickly and kept walking, casually commenting as he did so, "That's my view of New York city..."

Kagome's jaw dropped. A whole wall of his apartment was made up of windows, and because they were on the top floor, she could see for miles. It was the hour right before the dawn, so the sky was still dark, and the city lights were lit up as far as she could see. It was breathtaking. It made the window seat next to the couch she had been sleeping on look like a peephole. Recovering herself, she scampered to catch up to Inuyasha as he opened the next door.

"This is one of your possible rooms." She leaned forward eagerly, then gave him a disparaging look.

"It's exactly the same as your room."

"Is not. The bed's in a different place. It's like a foot to the left."

"My mistake."

"I have very specific tastes."

"Uh huh. Is the third room the same?"

"In that one, the bed is a foot to the right."

"Of course."

"Do you want to see it?"

"I think I can picture it, thanks."

"Ok, well..." He opened the door across from them. "This is the bathroom. But there's one in your room, too." It was decorated similarly to the rest of the apartment, and Kagome was pleased to see a giant black jacuzzi in the back corner.

"Is there one of those in my room?"

"Depends which room you take."

"I'll take the one with one of those."

"End of the hall."

She beamed at him and started to skip away. "I'll be busy for an hour," she called over her shoulder. "Don't come in!" It was time to get some stress out of her shoulders. Maybe living here wouldn't be so bad after all...


	6. Chapter 6

Inuyasha sat heavily in a leather chair. The relief that she was staying with him was overwhelming. He didn't really want to question himself as to why, because he knew that it sounded crazy if he put it into words. A vampire with a human pet. No, pet wasn't right. Friend? That was even crazier. He shook his head and stood again, unable to keep still. Somehow, having her out of his sight was unnerving. What if she was bluffing about feeling less suicidal and she was off drowning herself in his jacuzzi right now? He listened to the running water and tried to suppress the feeling that it sounded sinister. Obviously, he couldn't go in there and supervise. He just had to calm down. Where was the relief he had felt mere seconds ago? How had he already gotten back to worry?

Trying to distract himself, he flipped open his phone and dialed a familiar number.

A voice answered in less than a ring. "Brother."

"Sesshoumaru. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling like I'd love some answers. Are you calling to provide them?"

"I'm calling to say that you should find another vampire to hunt with. I'm out."

There was an ominous silence.

"Why?"

Inuyasha wasn't sure how to reply.

"The girl. I'm keeping her."

"What the hell do you mean you're keeping her?"

"I mean I'm not hunting anymore because I'm keeping her and she'll feed me and if anyone else so much as touches her, I'll kill them. So get another vampire in your group."

"What is this, Inuyasha? Compassion? Charity? Lust? I hope it's a tasteless joke, because if you're really telling me that you're about to endanger our entire species and our entire way of life for one human girl, then I'm sure you're aware how that will end up for you. I don't know how you managed to defeat us all that night when usually you can't even take me alone, but I assure you that you won't be able to take on every vampire in New York City, and they'll all be coming after you when they find out that you told a human our secret and then let her live."

"She won't tell."

"No? And you're basing that on what, exactly? Your thorough knowledge of her character?"

Inuyasha had no answer.

"Look... The next city meeting is tomorrow. I'll give you until then to think about this and come to your senses. If, however, the first words out of your mouth when we see each other there aren't 'she's dead', I will make it a topic of discussion for the whole Pack to weigh in on. Good bye." The line went silent.

Inuyasha tossed his phone somewhat angrily onto the couch. It bounced off the back and landed in one of the open take-out containers. Wrinkling his nose, he extracted it from the slimy mess of noodles and chicken inside. Human food was disgusting. He guessed he'd have to get used to it, though. If she was staying. And she was staying. He'd figure out a way even if he did have to take on every vampire in the city.

Almost exactly an hour later, she finally emerged from her room. She was still wearing the same strapless red dress, but now the water on her skin made it cling to her, and her hair hung in wet clumps around her shoulders. The heat of the water had flushed her cheeks as well. The whole look was very attractive.

"You aren't going out like that."

"Who says we're going out?"

"That's the only item of clothing you have in the world. We're going out. I'll buy you stuff."

"What is this, 'Pretty Woman'?"

"Why, are you a prostitute?"

"What? No!"

"I guess not, then." He walked swiftly to his room, grabbed a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, and tossed them to her. "Wear those."

She caught them, gave him a look, then retreated to her bedroom again. A few minutes later, she reappeared before him. His clothes fit her loosely, but somehow still managed to look adorable. Especially since her wet hair was still clinging to her in that same attractive way. It was annoying. He would vastly prefer to invite as little attention as possible when they went out, but she had to go and be so damn cute. How could men help but look? Had a lot looked before? She had said she had no one, but was that true?

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Yes, and I'm just a terrific girlfriend. That's why I haven't yet let him know where I am or whether I'm ok, and that's also why I nonchalantly agreed to live with another man without consulting him."

"Right... have you had many before, though?"

"None of your damn business."

"Ok."

He grabbed a coat and handed her one as well, and they ambled over to the elevator. It was fortunately near the top already, so they didn't have to wait long. The doors opened, they entered, and the doors slid shut once more as Inuyasha hit the button for the bottom floor.

"You?"

"What?"

"Nothing, just... you? Do you... have one?"

"A girlfriend?"

"Yeah."

"You thought it would be outrageous for you to live with me if you had a boyfriend but not outrageous for me to ask you to live with me if I had a girlfriend?"

"Well, if you had one she would understand your lifestyle, I'm sure. It's just like stocking your kitchen."

"First of all, I've already told you that you're more than food. And second of all, this arrangement that we have is not typical at all."

"No?"

"No. I've never heard of anyone else doing it. Ever. So if I did have a girlfriend, which, by the way, I do not, she would probably be just as outraged as your hypothetical boyfriend would be."

Kagome mulled that over for a second as the doors opened.

"Alright, well... good. I'm glad we're not pissing anyone off."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far."

"Why not?"

"Like I said, our arrangement isn't normal. In fact, it disrupts our way of life quite a bit. When everyone finds out about you knowing our secret and not being dead, they'll want to, well, fix the situation. Speaking of which, how would you like to wear a bag over your head for the duration of this shopping trip?"

"Not very much."

"A mask?"

"No."

"Large sunglasses?"

"...Fine."

"Very good. We'll start there. Make a left."


	7. Chapter 7

Kagome peered down the street through her brand new designer sunglasses. They were a few hundred dollars, and they made her look like a bug. She was also sporting a ridiculous wide-brimmed hat, a thick jacket, and a floor-length skirt, all purchased the day before on their shopping spree. Personally, she thought the get-up was completely unnecessary. The silver-haired man obsessively circling her and growling at every passerby guaranteed that everyone would notice her.

"So where is this place?"

"We're close."

"And explain again what it is we're going to?"

Inuyasha glanced around furtively. "Once a month, all the... people like me in the city meet and vote on important decisions."

"So all the blood-sucking serial killers in the area are fine with democracy, huh?"

"Well... not everyone gets a vote."

"How do you decide who does?"

"You'll see." He looked so tense.

"Hey, vampire," she said, flicking his nose. "Chill."

"Don't call me that in public."

"What should I call you? Sweetie?"

"Might be best. If you used my name people could track us. What do you want to be called?"

"For the love of God, I was joking. You need to calm down. It's not like we're going to get jumped just for walking down the street."

A dark man darted in front of them. "Inuyasha," he said.

Inuyasha instantly shoved her behind him and growled ferociously. Anyone who wasn't looking before was looking now.

"Chill," the man said, clearly annoyed.

"That's what I've been telling him," Kagome chimed in helpfully.

"What do you want, Kouga?" he asked.

"I talked to Sesshoumaru. He says you've gone crazy because of the chick from the other night. Is this her?" With incredible speed, Kouga ducked around Inuyasha and stood in front of Kagome, flicking her glasses and hat off of her in one motion. The glasses cracked when they dropped. Good. Maybe she wouldn't have to wear them anymore.

As the man studied her, she studied him back. He was tall, with an angular, wolfish face and long dark hair pulled back into a pony tail.

"She's hot," he said finally. "Is she making you crazy because she's hot?"

"No."

"So you're not together?"

"No."

"Cool, can I have her?"

"No!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You don't get to speak for me, Inuyasha. I'm single and I can go out with whomever I want."

"Will you go out with me, then?"

"No."

He smirked. "Too bad."

"Go away, Kouga."

"Nope. I'm too curious about this whole situation. What is it about her?" He circled Kagome slowly, still appraising.

"I think it's my sparkling wit," Kagome said.

"It is charming, but not enough to make a person turn their back on their entire lifestyle and all their friends. No offense."

Her eyes flitted to Inuyasha. "Is that what you're doing?"

"...Kinda."

"Why?"

He looked at the ground.

"So you don't know either?" Kouga pressed.

"Well, he says I taste really good. Wanna try?" She held out a wrist. Immediately, Inuyasha angrily pulled it back.

"Don't do that," he fumed. "Not ever."

"Sorry. Didn't realize I was exclusively yours to snack on."

"Well you are," he growled.

"Hey, no sweat. I'm full anyway. So are you headed to the meeting?"

"Obviously."

"Great. I'll walk with you."

Inuyasha didn't look pleased about this, but he didn't protest. Kagome hoped he wouldn't notice that they were leaving the hat and sunglasses behind. Luckily, he didn't seem to. Good. It wasn't in her nature to hide.

Before long, her two vampire escorts started taking quick turns and walking down dark alleys and behind buildings. Just when she thought they couldn't possibly still know where they were going, they stepped into a parking lot with an abandoned-looking structure on the other side of it. Groups of people were walking towards it, and the three of them joined the flow. When they reached the door, Inuyasha knocked. It opened to reveal a small hallway. As soon as they stepped inside, the door slammed behind them.

"Teeth," grunted the bored-looking man who had let them in. In turn, Kouga and Inuyasha both opened their mouths. Kagome watched as their canines grew longer and sharper. The man nodded to each, then turned to her. She exposed her own teeth and the man's eyes widened.

"What the hell?"

Inuyasha threw a protective arm in front of her. "She's with me."

"You know the rules. No food in the auditorium."

"She's not food."

"She will be, if she goes in there."

"That's my business, not yours."

The man looked surprised, but shrugged and opened a second door. Immediately, pounding music filled the room. Kagome walked forward curiously. The interior looked more like a club than anything else. There was no bar, but multicolored lights were flashing over what could only be a dance floor.

Inuyasha approached behind her and answered her unasked question. "We use it as a club the rest of the month. And right before the meetings, when everyone is still gathering." It was true. Plenty of couples were writhing together in the center of the room.

"Do you want to dance?" Kouga asked.

"Like a chicken wants to dance in a pack of wolves," she answered.

He laughed.

"Is there a coat room?"

"No. Leave it on," Inuyasha replied stubbornly.

"Of course there is," Kouga corrected, pointing it out. Kagome ignored Inuyasha's scowl and made a dash for it, stripping off her coat and shimmying out of the silly skirt as well. She emerged wearing leather pants and a form-fitting red shirt. Kouga whistled low when he saw her.

"I do not approve of this," Inuyasha pouted.

"I do! You're even hotter than I thought," Kouga commented appreciatively.

"Come on, Inuyasha. I'll blend in better this way anyway." He narrowed his eyes.

"How did you know that when you got dressed?" She gestured to his ensemble and he looked down. They matched.

"Feh."

"Quit fussing. Let's go," she said. And with that, she plunged fearlessly into a mob of vampires.


End file.
